Sometimes you just have to listen

[cmjr]

I'm new to arigunning and watched with some doubt about the "use your hand" as a rest technique. Coming from a long distance benchrest background, using the best equipment money could buy I found it hard to buy into the hand part. The artillery hold, yeh maybe but hand is better than a quality rest...I don't know. I'm breaking in a Crosman Titan, obviously not the king of the hill in AG technology. I set up a new target and fire 5 rounds from my 2pc rest, nice Hart with windage top and peltor rear rabbit ear. Shooting Beeman lasor sports I run off 5 shots, ho hum - .982, then I get this wild hair. I set aside the Hart, grab my cheapo orange Hoppe and lay my hand down as the rest. Now mind you I'm shooting a bone stock Titan, terrible trigger and all and it was prepped before the first pellet fired when new It was cleaned and loctited and a 1pc base used, using my hand as a rest, 5 shots - .542. First thing I noticed is the change in POI, slightly lower and obviously the size. I repeated this 2 more times, all groups shot at 50ft, and all groups averaged almost half to slightly less than half smaller. Interesting enough the Hart rest groups were shot under a more stable rest, no comparison. Having to rest it on my hand and shoot with that trigger, no way was it going to be better. I'm a believer now, sometimes you just have to listen to what people are telling you.

   

[Bullit]

  It's gonna get better too!

[BenjiHunter]

Good to hear.

[gamo2hammerli]

Pretty good and getting there.  Try other pellets too....domes usually shoot the best....some air rifles just like different brands or styles.

[renowntwo]

Way to go. As you can see now AG are different from firearms. A lot of firearm guys would not have told us that we know a  little about what we shot. Thanks

[Bullit]

Chuck,
You may not believe this.  But,,, if you learn to stay down on your target with a springer.  I'd put my money on YOU, versus a PB shooter, in a 2 gun total score!!!    YEAH!!!!!

[dryanw]

Ya, I've never gotten bad advice on the GTA. Keep practicing and all those shots will be in a hole the size of your pinky finger. Or smaller if you have a good barrel.

[AticaJoe]

I'm still pretty much a newbie when it comes to air guns. I learned to shoot powder burners starting around 9 or 10 and those fundamentals stuck with me. All grown up and got my first springer and was lucky to hit the paper my targets were printed on. Then I found the artillery hold and everything changed. The simplest way to explain it is let the rifle float. Loose grip and let it do what it wants. The difference for me was so dramatic , I couldnt believe it. 2 inch groups down to a half inch or less instantly. Great advice here for anyone and everyone into airguns.